10 Wrestling Performances That Proved People Wrong
2. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin - Vs. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, King Of The Ring 1996
'Stone Cold' Steve Austin was never supposed to be the guy getting the rub when it came to 1996's King of the Ring. That honour belonged to a pre-Curtain Call Hunter Hearst Helmsley, but we all know how that turned out.
For clarity on precisely what was going through Vince McMahon's mind around this time when it came to The Texas Rattlesnake, we give you a conversation the boss had with none other than the person Austin would eventually face in the very final of that iconic event - Jake 'The Snake' Roberts.
As the poisonous star recently recalled, McMahon was less than convinced by Austin as a performer and even went as far as to say "That guy, he’ll never make it past fifth, sixth match. He’s not a main-eventer." With Roberts refusing to allow Austin to slip through the cracks, though, he forced the boss to seriously consider Austin's 'it' factor.
Fast forward to '96 and Austin, fresh off of going over 'The Snake' and becoming the new King of the Ring, cut one of the most important promos in wrestling history, establishing himself as the biggest star in the industry not long after.